Coming to DVD: Columbia Pictures Film Noir Classics, Vol. IV
There's fantastic news this weekend for fans of film noir: This summer the TCM Vault Collection will be releasing Columbia Pictures Film Noir Classics, Vol. IV.I've seen all but one of the five titles, and it's a terrific set, including one of my very favorite Dick Powell movies. Mark this set down as a "must buy."
The films, with my reviews linked at each title:
*SO DARK THE NIGHT (1946) - This film was shown at the Noir City Hollywood festival this year but I was unable to see it. Steven Geray stars as a Parisian detective; the movie was actually filmed in Canoga Park. It was directed by Joseph H. Lewis, the director of MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS (1945) and GUN CRAZY (1950).
*JOHNNY O'CLOCK (1947) - Dick Powell stars as Johnny, who runs a nightclub and is mixed up with a trio of women: hat check girl Harriet (Nina Foch); Harriet's sister Nancy (Evelyn Keyes); and the wife (Ellen Drew) of his partner (Thomas Gomez). The terrific cast also includes Lee J. Cobb and Jeff Chandler. It was written and directed by Robert Rossen and beautifully shot by Burnett Guffey.*WALK A CROOKED MILE (1948) - This docunoir procedural stars Dennis O'Keefe as an L.A. FBI agent and Louis Hayward as a Scotland Yard agent who team up to break an international case regarding stolen top secret nuclear information. Raymond Burr costars. Directed by Gordon Douglas.
*BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND DAWN (1950) - A "docu-cop" title with Edmond O'Brien and Mark Stevens as police officer partners who are both in love with dispatcher Gale Storm. This film with procedural elements seems likely to have influenced later Jack Webb shows such as ADAM-12. Like WALK A CROOKED MILE, it was directed by Gordon Douglas.*WALK EAST ON BEACON! (1952) - George Murphy in his last feature film, starring as an FBI man investigating a Soviet espionage ring. Finlay Currie and Virginia Gilmore costar, directed by Alfred L. Werker.
All five films have been restored and remastered. Director Martin Scorsese provides an introduction.
The set will be released August 5, 2013.
Update: The release date has been pushed back to September 16, 2013.
posted by Laura @ 8:30 AM
6 Comments:
Great set. Thanks for news.
Yes...and about time for Johnny O'clock and Walk A Crooked Mile.
Cripes!
The day has just begun and Warner Archive have announced one of my most sought after Westerns SHORT GRASS;and now this!
WALK A CROOKED MILE is very high on my Noir wants list and I love BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND DAWN.
This generally unheralded Noir from Gordon Douglas is one crackerjack thriller.Honest decent straight arrow cops clearing out the citys scum;no shades of grey here.
Mark Stevens and Edmund O Brien
share a flat together,both fancy the same girl,(Gale Robbins) and are firm but fair with the local slum kids.
The film is given a real edge by a powerhouse turn by underrated Donald Buka as a vicious and unstoppable mobster.
All in all a must have collection,thanks Laura!
All this great DVD news has sent my brain into a tailspin!
I SHOULD have mentioned Gale Storm NOT Gale Robbins although BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND DAWN does feature BOTH Gales.
Furthermore Gale Storm,who I really like, is also featured in STAMPEDE released today by Warner Archive.
I also really liked Gale Storm in Phil Karlsons excellent THE TEXAS RANGERS with George Montgomery.Sure wish Sony would hurry up with that one!
So excited about Johnny O'Clock. I attempted to watch it on YouTube a couple months ago until I realized it was taken from some cable TV channel that monkeyed with the film by adding pan and scan and other extremely irritating effects. Made the movie compeletely unwatchable.
Yes!!! That is all.
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